Body + Soul

(My love of white flowers continues, isn't this magnolia spectacular?)

With my recent embrace of Mona Vie, and after a year of reading and watching, it's about time that I take stock and make a serious decision regarding how I'm going to enter middle age. I turned 44 in September and my sedentary lifestyle has been gnawing at me.

I am disappointed with myself. Over a year ago, I had great plans of taking better care of myself for me and for my children. I joined the YMCA, I hired a personal trainer, I bought more fruit and vegetables. A year has gone by and I did nothing. Squat. Zero. I frittered away a whole 365 days! I hate waste, waste of any kind, especially wasting time!

I'm not talking radical change. I'm talking smarter change.

Eating better. Not deprivation, just better choices. Deprivation only makes for deprivation which always leads to unhappy - after all, how else can being deprived make you feel? It's time for less eating out or on the run, more preparation at home and cooking at home with less processed ingredients.

Exercise on a regular basis. I'm canceling my membership at the YMCA and will take walks with my friend, Lisa, who (bless her) hasn't given up on me getting off my duff. I finally sent along a note telling her that I'm available every morning at 8:30AM - come and get me as you're walking by and I'll be outside, rain/snow or shine. I'm also going to dust off and USE the exercise bike and elliptical machine taking up 1/3 of my bedroom!

This is not a weight loss attempt, though if that is one of the results, I'm not going to fight it :) This is a preparation for living to 100 (or longer) and not be a cripple or a burden in the process.

It's all a mind-set and I think I'm there. Finally.

As a former athlete, I cannot believe I got myself here. I used to swim, I used to play tennis, I used to play volleyball. I would love to do those things again.

I am a HUGE fan of the magazine "Body + Soul". Their website, Whole Living is offering a challenge which starts in January. I've signed up. Why? The daily e-mail reminders, the tidbits of encouragement, the ideas and perspective outside of myself and my family.

I'm not going to be waiting for a note in January to tell me it's time to start. I'm going to start this morning. A regular Wednesday. All of the reading and preparation mean nothing without the doing. So, wish me luck. I'm about to DO!

Here's to feeling better and living longer.